Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-05

/ The actors were amazed to hear this anna
teur thunder sheet rafting at all possible
junctures of the play, whether the scene
was supposed 10 be on zero night, with
the snow four feet deep. or on a sunny May
morning. In one of the plays, an actor
said; List 10 the merry wedding bells on
this bright May morning. The audience
List oh listed" but all they heard was a
frantic peal OF thunder from the sarcastic
thunder sheet on the roof. The actor
glared into the wings a. if he
thought the stage hands were trying
to guy him. Some men were sent up
on the roof one day this week 70 fix the re-
/ fractory tin. and the Grand will probably
| try TO struggle along with only one thunder
sheet for awhile.
/ There is talk of running a special eNcur-
sion from this city to Dayton. May 9th,
when Booth appears there As Richelieu.
! The idea i a good one. but a better would
be to have Booth play Richelieu here and
! run the excursion from Dayton. BY the
way, has Booth seen cur last census? Our
managers have failed up to the present
/ time to secure him for performance here.
/ Try again, gentlemen.
/ The stage hands at the Grand and mum
Der of weil-known amateurs of this city
are studying up parts in a drama which Is
to be produced at the Grand April 20. p
and IS. for the benefit of the Sons of Vet
erans The parts will all b- in good hands
and the play will be finely mounted.
Ii is unlikely that there will be many at
fractions at the Springfield theaters during
April and May. The interstate commerce
bull gses into effect March SlSt, and after
that date, theatrical people must either
pay full fare or else adopt that brilliant plan
of ''snap" companies, and get of and walk.
A prominent New York manager says that
the new law will add Sl00to $500 per week
10 the expenses of every travelling company.
The advance men will hereafter demand a
much larger per cent. from the local mana
ger than {, rmerly, and the result will be
that oily the very best and very poorest
companies will be left The poor compa-
nies will go to place and play week 10
save the expense of travelling. The public
has little idea of what large jumps
theatrical companies sometimes take. Take
the example of the O'Neill combination for
instance. which appeared here last Tuesday
evening. Last week O'Neill was playi
Monte Cristo" in New York City. Look
what Jump. The full fare from New
York TO Springfield is Sl1 or SIS, including
sleeping-car fare. Under the new bill look
what a small fortune il would have cost to
make this jump. Under the present rules,
theatrical parties get almost half fare
rate. Fred Warde came from New York
this year to do the Ohio one night stands.
Theatrical parties frequently jump from
Springfield to Louisville. Chicago, Minnea-
polls OF even more distant points. Under
the new bill all this will be impossible.
The quality of entertainments under the
new law will be sadly deteriorated. There
will be a rage for plays which can be done
with five or six actors. who can double in
everything from German comedian to
heavy old man. We shall see no more
spectacular dramas executed by a com
pany of 40 people" no more comic operas
with a Large and adequate chorus" Poorer
companies at smaller salaries will be the
result, on account of this deficit in the
matter of increased railroad fares. Some
managers say that there will be a return To
the old stock company system. Not bit
of it. The public wishes To see fresh faces
and new pieces and would be insufferably
wearied by seeing the same actors every
night for a whole season. Think of
stock company of actors in Springfield. If
the good public of Springfield could not
support base ball club. how in the world
could it support stock company of actors?
General Lew Wallace. of Ben Hur"
fame. will soon deliver his famous lecture
on Turkey and the Turks" in this city
The lecture is said to be full of the wonder
full word-paintirg which made Ben Hur'
such wonderful success.
Several oil paintings by the little son OF
Mr.. Ed Fails are exhibited in Pierce X Co. 5
book store and e.ince considerable artistic
talent.
The delivery of an Grafton by General
Keifer a. the Army of the Cumberland re-
union will be great honor to our famous
townsman. The speech will probably be-
telegraphed all over the country by the As
sociated Press. and will vastly increase the
generals fame.
One of Emerson's finest sayings Is Hitch
your wagon to a star" Detective John T.
Norris should make note of this.
Everybody reads the amusing sketches by
Bill Nye in the Saturday REPUBLIC. Bill
enjoys the reputation of being the most
famous humorist now writing for the pub
lie. Mark Twain is resting on laurelS al
ready won and is writing little at present.
Bill Nye's many friends and readers in
this city will be sorry to hear of his con-
tnued illness in Ashville. \. c.. whittier
he went for the benefit of his health. His
recent effusons in the REPUBLIC have all
been dated from AShevile. The Nye and
Riley combination, which lectured here not
long ago. has been dissolved and Riley is
now lecturing on his own hook. 1t is to be
hoped that Bill Nye will rapidly regain his
health and keep American newspaper read
ers roaring with laughter for years to come.
Several winters ago Mr.. J. J. Brown. the
druggist. emptied out his entire stock of
liquors on the frozen ground and declared
that he would no longer sell the accurSed
stuff. He was asked the other day how the
plan succeeded. Il counted the cost before
| empried out the liquor" was his reply.
land am thoroughly satisfied with the re-
suit. MY business since has been every bit
as profitable as before
RAMBLER.
LOCAL NOTICES.
ta